Cayetano hopes
Clinton will find time
for golf on isle visit

The president will stop in
Honolulu on the way home
from New Zealand

Associated Press

Gov. Ben Cayetano says he's keeping his schedule for next Wednesday open, just in case President Clinton wants to play some golf.

The president is scheduled to make a stop in Honolulu that day, en route home from New Zealand, where he'll be meeting Saturday with Chinese President Jiang Zemin and other Pacific Rim leaders.

"They have not indicated how long he's going to be here," Cayetano said yesterday. "We've heard that he may be here for as long as 12 hours, and if he is here for as long as 12 hours, the chances of his wanting to play golf will be very, very high."

"We hope he stays awhile," he said. "It gives me a chance to talk to him about some of the issues that we think he can help us with."

Clinton also will be invited to return to Hawaii in March to address the Pacific Basin Economic Council's annual meeting, Cayetano said. "That would be a big, big plus for us," he said.

Clinton is expected to make a brief refueling stop here Friday, on the way to New Zealand.

The president has no scheduled public appearances during his stopovers.

Clinton has visited Hawaii four times since he became president. He addressed thousands during a "speech on the beach" in Waikiki during his first visit in 1993, and spent several days on Oahu for ceremonies marking the 50th anniversary of V-J Day in November 1995. He also visited in 1994 and 1996. He made a brief refueling stop last November.